PERSPECTIVES

Elevating digital healthcare experiences

Anthem Vice President of Digital SolutionsMeg Rush knows how

MEET MEG

Tell us about your role and responsibilities at Anthem.

As the vice president of digital solutions, I manage the business team responsible for a variety of audiences: members, employers, brokers and providers. Our team is an enterprise organization serving the strategy, digital product management, user experience design and digital analytics needs of our business. We are the stewards of developing and enhancing a cohesive digital experience that is modern, simple and personalized—experiences that focus on encouraging improved health and healthcare decisions.

How would you describe the digital experience that Anthem delivers?

At Anthem, customer centricity is a key part of our business strategy and a focal point of our digital journey. Our focus on users, supported by our digital transformation efforts, is enabling us to deliver access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. From end to end and on every channel, we anchor our digital strategies to deliver exceptional experiences. This ensures the work we’re doing within digital aligns with user needs and our business strategy.

We are acutely aware that consumers demand a higher level of service than ever before. They want instant access to information personalized to their needs, products and services through multiple devices, anytime, anywhere. We’ve developed experiences across our ecosystem to meet those expectations, starting with the user journey.

What do you think are the key ingredients to delivering a powerful and seamless digital experience?

We straddle two worlds: today’s business demands and emerging consumer expectations. We have a view on the future and what we need to do to move forward. As a large enterprise organization with different audiences, different expectations and different needs across segments, we know we need to bring it all together in a cohesive experience.

To deliver on these needs, we have anchored our digital experience on insights and have made significant progress in transforming our ecosystem to deliver on the expectations of our users. To do this well required the right resources, the right operating model, the right feedback loops and the right technology.

We get insights, identify trends and understand expectations of users. We’re elegantly connecting and integrating experiences. In the digital world, it’s important to understand how people are actively using products. We can use analytics to learn about their experience on our websites and mobile solutions. The process of improvement is never done—instead it’s a continuous process of listening and evolving.

"As a digital professional, there is little separation between the work we do and what we experience in daily life…We believe that the convenience, ease of use, simplicity we have in our everyday life can be applied to healthcare."

How do you envision digital solutions will evolve in the next three years to meet the rising expectations of consumers?

We are all clear that there is a profound change underway in our industry and many dynamic forces are reshaping the healthcare business model. Our environment has evolved substantially over the past five years, and the requirement to become distinctively consumer-oriented is driven by a need to remain strategically relevant.

I am a true believer that great experiences don’t happen by accident; instead they must be thoughtfully orchestrated leveraging insights, analytics and progressive product development practices. To do this, we have to keep abreast of trends and technology in the market to solve user problems. There are several trends going on - chatbots, virtual assistants, AI, blockchain. These solutions have real potential to significantly enhance ease of use in healthcare.

Is it difficult to take off your work hat and enjoy a digital experience, without thinking about how it might apply to Anthem?

As a digital professional, there is little separation between the work we do and what we experience in daily life. We’re all consumers. Our expectations derive from our personal interactions. We believe that the convenience, ease of use, simplicity we have in our everyday life can be applied to healthcare.

To do this we need to pay attention to the great experiences we are having every day. My boarding pass is electronic, therefore my healthcare ID card should be as well. I receive a text notification for my car service appointment, therefore I should receive a text when I need to refill a prescription. I receive email notifications on my bank account, therefore I should receive notifications on my claim status. These types of borrowed experiences are how we will truly create exceptional end-to-end journeys for our users.

What do you like most about your job?

I’m a builder and a problem solver. What drives me is taking on complex problems, deeply understanding the needs of our users and putting all of the pieces together to solve a real-world problem. If you start with insights, the process you go through becomes very logical and methodical. At Anthem, we’ve had the opportunity to develop a vision of what we need to be: to be competitive and win in the digital arena. We’ve made great progress but there is more to do.

The second element of my job I love is my team. When I started seven years ago, I had a team of eight. We had real challenges. Over the years, we created a center of excellence composed of passionate digital professionals. We have been able to consistently execute on our vision, mature our digital expertise, build relationships with business stakeholders and technology partners, and also demonstrate how digital can enable the overall business strategy.

Do you have any special hobbies or interests?

Traveling is my passion. My husband and I have had the opportunity to live all over the country—the east coast, the west coast. Hands down my favorite has been Portland, Oregon.

We love vacationing anywhere. We’ve been to cities, trips outdoors, beaches. For us it’s all about having the next experience and seeing the communities that people live in.

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